The Stanley Cowell Critic Pick

The Virtuosity Of Cowell

(*Note: This is an old article from 2008 that I lost in a computer crash. I found a copy and am now reposting it.)

Stanley Cowell's exceptional career spans decades, fashioning a musical tapestry that traverses the many sub-genres of the jazz realm. Cowell musical world opened in Toledo, Ohio, playing the piano and pipe organ. By age fifteen, he was a featured soloist for the Toledo Youth Orchestra in Kabelevsky's Piano Concerto No. 3. Degrees and undergraduate studies from Oberlin Conservatory, the Mozarteum Akademie, Salzburg, Austria and the University of Southern California completed Stanley's formal musical enlightenment.

His divergent styles, ranging from the classically styled, elegantly executed keyboard compositions to harder, free jazz arrangements, sets Cowell apart from some of his contemporaries, yet made him a sought after collaborator for some of the biggest names in jazz. His upcoming solo performance for the Cityfolk Jazz Piano Masters Series is an event that with reveal the depth and flawlessness of Cowell's virtuosity. The performance will be held Saturday, January 12 at 8 PM in the Dayton Art Institute's Renaissance Auditorium. General admission is $20. Further details and tickets can be obtained through Cityfolk's web site (www.cityfolk.org) or by calling (937) 496-3863.

(This article was originally published in the January 9, 2008 issue of the Dayton City Paper)